COLUMBUS, MS – July 3, 2024 - Brady Baker of Alexander, AR topped the United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters 25-lap Feature Race on Wednesday night at Magnolia Motor Speedway for his career-first sprint car and United Sprint Car Series stop in Victory Lane,
Baker took the lead from Derek Hagar of Marion, AR on lap seven and then checked out on the field to take a 5.361 margin of victory over Dale Howard of Byhalia, MS. Derek Hagar took the third spot and Brad Bowden of Hernando, MS, who started 11th finished fourth to earn the Wilwood Brakes Hard Charger of the Race Award. Landon Crawley of Benton, AR was fifth,
Howard Moore of Memphis, TN drove to a sixth-place finish. Marshall Skinner of Marion, AR finished seventh. The defending and 15-time USCS National Champion, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN was eighth, and Lance Moss of Cherryville, NC took the ninth spot. Lane Whittington of Denham Springs, LA rounded out the top ten.
In preliminary action, Hagar earned the pole position for the 25-lap Feature Race by winning the six-lap Hoosier Racing Tire Speed Dash. The three eight-lap Heat Races were won by Howard in the Engler Machine & Tool Heat 1, Hayden Martin of Olive Branch, MS in the Butlerbuilt Racing Products Heat 2, and Moore in the Racing Electronics Heat 3.
Hagar grabbed the lead at the start of the race followed by Baker, Howard, Moore and Crawley. Before the field could establish a race pace, the first of two caution flags came out on lap three.
On the restart, Cawley and Moore exchanged the fourth spot for three straight laps, and Crawley took charge of the spot on lap five. The lead changed hands on lap seven, as Baker passed Hagar for the lead.
Dale Howard grabbed the second spot from Hagar on lap eight. Baker opened up a 1.505 second lead on Howard by the tenth lap, but the field was bunched up on lap 11, as the caution flag came out.
Within two laps after the restart, Baker had opened up a 2.425 second lead on Howard. Bowden moved up into the top five on lap 13, getting around Moore for the fifth spot. With five laps to go, Baker was in a different zip code from Howard in second with a 4.852 second advantage. Bowden moved up to fourth on lap 24, passing Crawley for the position.
The United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters will travel to Clayhill Motorsports Park in Atwood, TN on Thursday night for a July 4th Spectacular. For more information about USCS, visit their website at uscsracing.com and the series Facebook page, or call the series office at 770-865-6097.
United Sprint Car Series Marketing Partners are K&N Filters, Engler Machine & Tool, Hoosier Racing Tire, Huggins Cams, Hero Graphics, DMI/Bulldog, J&J Supply of NC, Racing Electronics, JE Pistons, DHR Suspension, Wilwood Disc Brakes, KSE Racing Products, PRO Shocks, Schoenfeld Headers, and Arizona Sport Shirts.
OFFICIAL RESULTS FROM THE UNITED SPRINT CAR SERIES PRESENTED BY K&N FILTERS EVENT AT MAGNOLIA MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN COLUMBUS, MS ON 7/3/2024:
FEATURE RACE – 25 Laps: 1. 71 Brady Baker, Alexander, AR (3); 2. 47 Dale Howard, Byhalia, MS (4); 3. 9jr Derek Hagar, Marion, AR (1); 4. 4x Brad Bowden, Hernando, MS (11); 5. 187 Landon Crawley, Benton, AR (8); 6. 3 Howard Moore, Memphis, TN (2); 7. 26 Marshall Skinner, Marion, AR (9); 8. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN (10); 9. 23 Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC (13); 10. 9 Lane Whittington, Denham Springs, LA (5); 11. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (15); 12. 1jr Lamie Manley, Memphis, TN (16); 13. 16 Hannah Merritt, Nesbit, MS (17); 14. 83 Curt Schumacher, Caledonia, MS (18); 15. 91 Chase Howard, Nesbit, MS (7); 16. 67 Hayden Martin, Olive Branch, MS (6); 17. 44 Ronny Howard, Nesbit, MS (12); 18. 17 Alex Lyles, Arlington, TN DNS.
HOOSIER RACING TIRE SPEED DASH – 6 Laps: 1. Hagar; 2. Moore; 3. Baker; 4. D. Howard; 5. Whittington; 6. Martin.
HEAT RACES – 8 Laps:
ENGLER MACHINE & TOOL HEAT 1: 1. D. Howard; 2. Whittington; 3. R. Howard; 4. Skinner; 5. Lyles; 6. Manley.
BUTLERBUILT RACING PRODUCTS HEAT 2: 1. Martin; 2. Hagar; 3. Crawley; 4. Gray; 5. Moss; 6. Merritt.
RACING ELECTRONICS HEAT 3: 1. Moore; 2. Baker; 3. C. Howard; 4. Bowden; 5. Willingham; 6. Schumacher.
Submitted by ROBY HELM – Helm Communications – 865-207-4157.
USCS Media contact: Pete Walton 770-865-6097
Email peteuscs@att.net